Fractured
by Charlmeister
Summary: Erza Scarlet, the only female apart of the FIU (Fiore Investigation Unit), is sent in to work with the Magnolia force to find a killer. But what happens when the prime suspect happens to be her childhood friend, Jellal? AU. Rated M for gore, swearing and sexual content. Jellal x Erza; Laxus x Erza.
1. Prologue

_**A/N: So after some thinking, I've decided to try my hand at a Jerza fanfiction. I got an idea for an AU setting and thought that it could really work between these two. This is also one of those stories that will take time to build so hopefully I stay motivated and inspired to keep at this, because I really enjoy the idea of this story. Hopefully you all who take the time out to read it enjoy it as well ^-^/ **_

_**O.o.O.o **_

His hands were stained in the thick crimson of her blood. Her eyes were wide, blue pools of frozen agony and despair. Thin threads of her hair fanned over her paling face; her lips formed a crooked 'O' and blood leaked over the corners of her mouth. Her throat was gashed, life still sluggishly pumped from the wound; the flesh like beaten meat inside. He frowned down at the body, obvious distaste and disappointment swirling in the red that consumed the natural colour of his brown eyes. He blinked down at the girl's lifeless body. It was probably the glazed look of her eyes, the thick and raw scent of her cruel death that made his consciousness sink in and with a few more rapid blinks, the red was gone from his eyes and brown orbs stared down at the body.

He scrambled away from her body, his hands braced against the gravelly ground of the alleyway as he looked down at her nakedness. The fabric of her blue dress was torn. Innocence was ripped from her. Her stomach was punctured in several places, blood drenched the skin and soaked the earth beneath. Her beauty became distorted by the blood; a frozen and terrified look on her face.

Moonlight rinsed her body in an intangible comfort; the shadows encroached, trying to hide her. He continued to stare at her body then at his hands, his eyes wide in confusion and terror. _Had he done this? Had he…_

His face was marked by dots and splashes of her blood. His shirt was stained by it and drenched in the fresh odor of her death – the entirety of his being was enveloped in it. He wanted to run and scream that he hadn't done this. Then came the flashbacks; the screams of different girls but all mirrored the same frantic desperation to escape, the plea that he not kill them. He covered his ears as if that could help to block the screams and cries that ricocheted off the walls of his mind.

Everything seemed to close in on him and he gasped, his throat constricting as if he couldn't breathe. It was the soft whisper of his name that chased away the memories that haunted him. _Her voice_. He looked up towards the disembodied voice, his brown-eyed gaze expressing his panic, reminiscent of a child's.

The footsteps were slow and methodical against the gravel and the silhouette of a female form solidified against the shadows. He blinked up at her; the ivory of her skin glowing in the moonlight. She was beautiful; all of her – from the long silk of her jet black hair that framed her face, to the serenity of her perfect face. Her gentle expression and comforting smile eased his fear.

"Ultear, I-"

"Sshh," she said. Her voluptuous body was clothed in a blue dress that clung to her curves, a white band tied at the waist. Over the dress, she wore a cloak and the sleeves hung limply at her shoulders. Her soft palm caressed his cheek and she looked beyond him to the dead girl.

He saw the tick of her jaw, the fleeting look of disappointment that crossed her dark eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered, knowing he had done something wrong.

"It's okay." The smile was back and she helped him to his feet. "Let's go."

"What about her? We can't leave the body here."

"Yes, we can. She' be okay." Before she walked away, she whispered something in the tongue that he hardly understood – at least not in his conscious state – then took his hand and led him down the opposite end of the alleyway.

Ultear kept her composure about her but when she finally put Jellal to sleep and left their bed, she screamed in the room where the sound would not carry. This didn't need to happen. Not when she was so close to unlocking one of the seals of Zeref's demons that would bring her closer to finding the Dark Mage. Why was he no longer staying under the possession? What was she not doing correctly? The first, few times she had sent him to kill those girls, it had gone well – without a hitch – and he had been there during the sacrifices. What had changed now? Was it because they were now in Magnolia? Did he have some connection here?

Whatever it was, she needed him to snap out of it because she needed his power to bring her closer to Zeref.

O.o.O.o


	2. Chapter (One)

_**A/N: The first chapter. I've always imagined Laxus and Erza sharing some intimacy but nothing too personal. Besides shipping her with Jellal, I do think she would have an interesting relationship with Laxus - probably even Gray. Gildarts even. But that's besides the point! Hope you enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think ^-^/**_

**O.o.O.o**

It wasn't so much the glare of the sun against her closed eyes that roused her from sleep; but Laxus' firm grip around her waist. It made her feel confined, trapped, and she shoved her elbow in his hard gut that worked a surprised grunt from her co-worker. She looked over her shoulder at him and frowned after passing a glance to the digital clock on the night table by his side.

"What are you still doing here? I thought you said you had an early shift last night," she grumbled and swung her legs over the side of her bed. She stretched for her t-shirt on the floor and pulled it over her naked body.

Laxus was still rested on his back, slowly blinking the sleep from his eyes as he watched her move about her room. He smiled at how thin the shirt was and the view of her ass was causing his body to respond in a way he knew she would disapprove of right now. "You need the company," he drawled and stretched his hands above his head, his knuckles hitting into the headboard of the bed. She stopped what she was doing, his clothes in a bundle against her chest as she looked at him with a raised brow; her red hair laid over her shoulders.

"Do I need to redefine the terms of our friendship?"

Laxus chuckled and sat up at the same time she threw his clothes at him. "Get dressed. Get out." She turned then and disappeared inside the bathroom, closing the door with such finality that made Laxus smile.

He wondered exactly what it would take to break down her barriers, to get Erza to be at such a place that she was comfortable to be with him. She treated everything with such a business-like quality, but he guessed that was what drew him to her. He didn't even know that she would have actually taken him up on his offer for them to have sex. Sure, he hadn't been the one to imply that it be casual and nothing personal, but getting into Erza's bed was an accomplishment on its own. He doubted she'd ever slept with any of the other men in the force. There were rumours that she and Gildarts used to fuck around but she never made any of that obvious.

Sometimes he felt at a disadvantage where she was concerned because he had feelings for her but knew that it would never be reciprocated. Erza had no time to deal with feelings of love. All her efforts and time was invested in her work; the only thing she treated with real passion. Sure, the sex they had was always amazing, especially on the nights when Erza showed up on his doorstep, drunk and frustrated with work, and just needed him to take care of her for the night.

His cock throbbed from the memory of those nights and there was an electrical charge of heat that ran through him. But he'd have to ignore that for now. He glanced to the digital clock, stoic and unyielding as it blinked the time at him. 7:45 A.M. _Ahh shit, he was late for work._ The fact just sunk in. He got out the bed and went to the bathroom.

She was rinsing the lather from her skin when he whipped the shower curtain back. Erza turned to face him, her hands covering her chest. It wasn't fright that stamped itself across her features, but rage.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked her voice half-raised in anger.

"Thought I'd join, save you the bathwater and myself the trouble of going home to shower."

Erza rolled her eyes and turned back to the overhead spray. Sometimes she didn't understand why she bothered with Laxus. But these few indiscretions were things she could overlook. Overall, he wasn't a bad person and most of the time respected the boundaries she set between them. She knew that at times it bothered him about how private she was about her personal life. But the fact that he had readily accepted her terms when he had asked – no, told – her to sleep with him that first night, didn't make her too concerned about his feelings.

Erza preferred not to get emotionally involved with anyone; she had tried times in the past but had come to the conclusion that no one was able to deal with the baggage of her past that still came back to haunt her. Only one person had been able to deal with that…

Her hands slowed against her body at that thought, and it was then that she felt the hardness of Laxus' body against her back. She closed her eyes, the word 'no' on her lips but when his hands gently gripped her hips, ran down the outsides of her thighs then in towards her throbbing flesh, she sighed.

"What are you doing?" she murmured as she leaned her head back against his chest. She looked up at him and saw him, his dark golden eyes, looking right back at her. She reached a hand up to the side of his face, her fingers glanced the scar over his right eye. Was that the reason why she had chosen him? Because in his own way, he reminded her…of _him_?

She closed her eyes as his fingers moved over her soft flesh, then slid inside of her. No, that was ridiculous. She wasn't so petty. And how many years had gone by since she left him at Paradise Tower; the orphanage where they had shared their lives? The paradise of hell? He pushed her forward and her hands slapped against the blue marble tiles of the bathroom wall. His rough actions broke her thoughts and she said nothing when he roughly took her but instead, moaned her approval at how forcefully he did.

It wasn't the scar, why she made Laxus her lover. She gasped and bit down hard on her lip to keep herself from screaming as his fingers dug into the skin of her hips, roughly pulling her back again and again. This, was why.

O.o.O.o


	3. Chapter (Two)

_**A/N: The next chapter to this JerZa project fanfiction. I was supposed to add this earlier in the week but I wanted to add more...and the more didn't come so I'll just work with what I have and work on the next chapter! Happy reading and remember to review ^-^/**_

_**O.o.O.o**_

Erza spent most of the day cleaning after Laxus had left. She took Killer, her dog, out for a walk and stopped at a pastry shop to buy herself a slice of strawberry shortcake. This was probably the first day since the entire ten days of her vacation that she had really allowed herself to relax. She had been itching to go back to work, had even asked Gran Doma (where the hell his parents got that name, she wasn't so sure) to cut her vacation time short but with a dull look and firm shake of his head, he had said no. She would have continued to argue with him if the threat of him extending that time hadn't lingered between them in his office.

Boredom was a pre-existing feeling at her apartment. She only slept and ate here. It wasn't a place she appreciated for its homely feel with its neutral tones, comfy sofas, fireplace and feng shui. It was that place to restore her spent energy from work. It was lonely here, which was why she had gone to the extent of getting a dog, the only thing in her life that seemed to make her forget how lonely she was. Not even Laxus was able to fill that particular void. She always ignored it, but there were times the feeing built on itself until it was almost unbearable. It was why she resorted to drinking on some days. Somehow, alcohol managed to remedy that feeling and numbed it from her conscious.

The television was on and she was absent-mindedly flipping through channels when her phone rang. The call went to the answering machine and when she heard the gruff baritone of Gran's voice, she scrambled for the phone. Her rapid footsteps padded against the carpeted floor as she ran for the cordless phone she had left in the kitchen. She managed to pick up as he was about to say goodbye.

"Gran, don't hang up. Sorry." She sounded out of breath from the short sprint to the kitchen.

"Scarlet? Are you busy?" He didn't even bother with formalities; the answering machine had gotten all of it.

"No, what happened?"

"I need you to come in. I've sent Laxus to pick you up."

She felt her heart could explode from the relief his words brought. "Okay. I'll be there." She hung up and used her fingers as a comb, running it through her hair to fix any stray strands. She was still in a pair of sweatpants and a yellow shirt, twice her size, with a bunny printed on the front. Out of uniform, Erza always wore big clothes. The usual reason she told people was that it was more comfortable, but truthfully, Erza felt protected in huge t-shirts and roomy pants. As a girl, growing up in Paradise Tower, she had started to do so to feel some odd level of security and it became a habit that stayed with her.

She heard the toot of a car horn and, knowing it was Laxus, she walked out the front door after setting the alarm system and putting Killer out in his kennel. She locked the door and jogged down the steps to Laxus' sports car. By the look of his grim features, which softened when he saw her, she could tell something bad had happened.

She got in and slammed the door and he pulled out the apartment driveway and shifted gears as he drove out the scheme.

"What happened?"

"They found the girl; the one who's been missing for a week."

"Dead?"

"Yeah."

"Where'd they find her."

"In Magnolia."

She turned to face him then but his eyes were focused on the road. He was dodging traffic, overtaking and almost ran the lights. Erza's expression could have been caused by his reckless driving but she was thinking about why the girl's body would end up in Magnolia.

"So she was kidnapped in Crocus and ended up dead in Magnolia?"

During his visits, Laxus had given her the pertinent facts of the recent kidnapping case. It was a recurring event; kidnappings that ended with the victims dead or barely able to make it after the trauma. Only one girl had survived but ended up committing suicide not even two days after her release from the facility she had been admitted to. That was three weeks ago. But all the cases had had something in common; wherever the girls were kidnapped, they were found somewhere around the location of the kidnapping.

At first, the killings weren't thought to have been carried out by the same person because it didn't happen in a timely sequence, nor did the girls have particular and common features that a serial killer would normally stick to. But the similarity in how each girl was executed put a stop to that opinion. Their throats were always slashed and some of them were found with a deep hole in their left breast. Erza had seen the pictures, had been to the morgue to view the bodies and each time, something had twisted inside her at the familiarity of knowing what some of that pain had felt like.

"Yeah. Gran thinks that's where the killer has moved to. First, the bodies started ending up in Balsam Village. Now Magnolia."

"Or maybe he's doing this to throw us off?"

"Maybe, but he's sending us to Magnolia to check things out."

"Us?" She looked at him sharply.

Laxus turned to look at her then as he pulled into the FIU underground parking lot. "Yes. Us."

Erza didn't show her annoyance but Laxus could pick up her displeasure with that news. He said nothing further about it but followed her to the elevator. She pressed the button for the fifth floor, where Gran's office was located and waited. She would have preferred going to Magnolia alone. This wasn't something she couldn't handle alone but Gran was the kind of chief who believed in team support – no matter how good a person was. There always needed to be a backup. But she would have liked someone else besides Laxus. In its own way, in spite of her not having feelings for him, she felt it would complicate things.

**O.o.O.o**


End file.
